


Outside The Castle Walls

by byeongharilynne



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Happy Ending, How Do I Tag, I Tried, Light Angst, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-27
Updated: 2017-11-04
Packaged: 2019-01-25 06:03:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,796
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12524648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/byeongharilynne/pseuds/byeongharilynne
Summary: Prince!Jihoon decided to wander outside of the castle some time before his wedding, and meets dancer!Soonyoung in a forest clearing by the outskirts of the town.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't judge too harshly! This is my first published work :>

####  A Fateful Encounter 

It was 10 days before Jihoon's wedding. He was very happy, as it just happened that the arranged marriage between himself and the lovely countess had worked out well. He had just came back from his fitting, and decided that he needed to get some fresh air. But there was one problem-he wasn't allowed to go outside of the castle walls. Yes, he could go out to the gardens, but that day, something in him told him that he should take a trip outside.

With this in mind, he carefully crept up the castle wall in the garden, and used the tree conveniently growing next to it to crawl up and over the wall. He was small, and very lithe, so the task did not present much difficulty. He then jumped down to the grass on the other side, and began walking down the path that led into town. However, he stopped himself before he could go any further, deciding that it was too risky since he could easily be recognized and caught. Instead, he he went in the direction of the forest nearby. After walking for a few minutes, he arrived at a clearing.

Something had caught his eye. 

He crept closer and peeked through the lush undergrowth. His eyes widened, his heart beat faster, and his jaw dropped. In the center of the clearing, there was a young man, probably about his age. He was dancing, and it was absolutely captivating. He himself had always wanted to become a dancer, but he hadn't been given the chance to, of course. He watched the man dance, observing the fluid motions. Jihoon was so entranced that he didn't notice how he was slowly falling forward until it was too late. With a resounding crash, he tumbled forward, head first, into the clearing. 

The dancer was startled, and looked absolutely terrified for a few moments. However, he quickly regained his composure and went over to Jihoon.

"Are...you okay?" he asked slowly.  
"Yeah, I'm fine," mumbled Jihoon with a beet red face while sitting up and brushing off the dirt that clung to his clothes.  
"Wait, aren't you the prince?"  
"I...yeah. I am," Jihoon said defeatedly.  
"What brings you here?" he continued, evidently curious.  
"I was tired of sitting around in that castle all day. And besides, it was definitely worth it. Your dancing is amazing," Jihoon said.  
"Oh! You saw? You liked it? Thank you, I'm quite flattered," the dancer said, a light pink dust settling on his pale cheeks. 

They sat in silence for a few moments.  
"Hey, what's your name?" asked Jihoon.  
"Soonyoung. Kwon Soonyoung," he replied.  
"Alright Soonyoung, see you...sometime, hopefully. Are you usually in this area at this time?"  
"Yeah, usually. Have a safe trip-no, wait, I'll walk you back to the castle just in case," insisted Soonyoung.  
"Alright, just be careful so no one sees you," warned Jihoon, and they were off. 

Once they reached the garden wall, it was time to part. Jihoon turned to face Soonyoung.  
"So...goodbye, I guess," Jihoon said quietly. The truth was, he didn't want Soonyoung to leave. There was something so pleasant about him that made Jihoon want to stay with him. He had felt truly free around him.  
"Yeah, see ya," said Soonyoung, and began to walk away. He stopped abruptly.  
"Wait. One more thing," he practically whispered as he walked over to Jihoon. Suddenly, their faces were inches apart. Soonyoung leaned down and pressed a light kiss to Jihoon's forehead.  
"Stay safe," he whispered, and left, leaving a totally flustered Jihoon.

Even as he lay in bed that night, his heart wouldn't stop racing, and Soonyoung occupied all of his thoughts. He couldn't wait to see him again tomorrow.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long to update! I was really busy this past week, and I wanted to update yesterday, but it didn't work out so here it is :>

#### Heartache

The next few days went by in a blur. Every day, around the same time, Jihoon would crawlover the wall and go to the clearing where Soonyoung would dance. He enjoyed the performances, drinking in the gorgeous sight and condemning it to his memory. Each day they would stay with each other for hours at a time, sometimes even venturing close to the town. Jihoon spent most of his waking time alone thinking about Soonyoung. Each day, he would look forward to seeing the charming young man. 

However, as his wedding day grew nearer and nearer, Jihoon became more and more distressed. There was something that hurt his heart every time he thought about the upcoming event. He usually ignored the feeling, given that it went away as soon as he saw Soonyoung. Today was to be no different, despite the fact that his wedding was one day away. He knew that he should be preparing, but it had become too painful for him to stay in the castle any longer. 

Jihoon climbed over the wall and quickly ran to the clearing. Sure enough, Soonyoung was there, dancing gracefully, with beautiful sweeping motions and unbelievable flexibility. He watched for some time, but to his dismay, that uneasy feeling had returned. He tried to push it away, but it only grew. Noticing his troubled expression, Soonyoung stopped and came over to him.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell today?"  
"No, not at all," Jihoon replied quickly, offering up a small smile. This clearly didn't fool Soonyoung.  
"No, something's wrong." He sat next to Jihoon, then changed his mind and shifted so that he was facing Jihoon.  
"So? What is it?"  
"Well, you see, the thing is...I'm getting married tomorrow," Jihoon began.  
"Oh how nice! But why do you seem unhappy?" asked Soonyoung gently.  
"...That probably means I won't be seeing you anymore," Jihoon concludes.  
"Oh. But you probably won't have the desire to see me, as you will be too busy to even think about me," said Soonyoung, attempting to hide the sadness in his voice.  
"No, that's the problem...I don't want to leave you," Jihoon confessed, letting a breath he didn't know he was holding go. Soonyoung looked up at him surprised and really happy (secretly of course).  
"Hm...we don't have to stop seeing each other. As long as you keep coming, so will I," said Soonyoung finally, after a moment of silence. He shifted closer to Jihoonand wrapped his arms around him.  
"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere. I'll always be here for you," he whispered into Jihoon's ear. Jihoon shivered slightly and smiled. Then he turned around and hugged Soonyoung.  
"Thank you," he said, and buried his head into Soonyoung's chest. They sat like this for a while, and then it was time to part once again. Jihoon didn't want to part, but he knew he had to. 

When they reached the wall, the pain had come back. However, this time, he knew what the feeling was. It was his love for Soonyoung. It gave him pain to know that he couldn't stay with him all the time. With the thought that this could be the last time they see each other in a while, Jihoon leaned forward and gently pressed his lips onto Soonyoung's. He quickly pulled away so as not to let desire take over. "Goodnight Soonyoung," Jihoon whispered. "Goodnight...see you," he replied and quietly left.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I know it's been forever, but I'm still alive :> Things have been really hectic, but I'm glad to be sharing the final chapter!

#### Freedom

Finally, it was the day of the wedding. Jihoon paced around his room impatiently, dreading the upcoming event. Regret had already settled deeply in his heart, even though he hadn't even gotten married yet. Pain ate away at his fragile heart, leaving him feeling more hollow as time dragged on. He reluctantly put on the fitted suit, and checked the mirror. He looked very good, but there was grief clouding his eyes and his lips were curved into a perfect frown. He sighed and turned away from the mirror, unable to look at his own pitiful face. Just then, Jihoon heard a knock on his door. 

"Young Master, are you ready?" came the voice of the maid. "Oh, yes. Is it time already?" asked Jihoon, more to himself. "Yes yes, come on out. Let me take a look at you." Jihoon stepped out of his room reluctantly. "Wow, perfect! Let's go, the soon-to-be princess is here!" Jihoon's heart sank further. It wasn't that he didn't like her- but that was all. He didn't _love_ her. He loved another. 

Jihoon was left alone for the time being, so he did the craziest thing possible-he ran to the tree beside the wall, climbed it, and went up and over the wall, away from the castle. Even if it really was the last time he would see Soonyoung (or go outside at all), he would say his goodbyes properly. Luckily, when he arrived, Soonyoung was there. However, he noticed that he wasn't dancing, unlike usual. He quietly approached him, calling his name softly. 

"Soonyoung...it's me, Jihoon." At this, Soonyoung looked up. His face was glittering with tears, and his eyes looked dull and lifeless. "Oh, hi...shouldn't you be preparing for your wedding?" "Well yes, but I couldn't help myself. I needed to be with you, and clearly, this feeling is mutual." He walked over and hugged Soonyoung tightly. He felt his heart start to beat faster, and smiled widely. Yes, this was where he was truly happy. Not in the castle with all of his riches, but right here, in Soonyoung's arms. Soonyoung was much more valuable than any of those stupid luxuries. So he went ahead and confessed what he had known for a long time, in fact, since he first met the other. 

"Kwon Soonyoung, I love you, and only you. I can't be away from you without feeling empty inside, and when I'm with you, everything is better. You are my life and my one, true love." He took a deep breath, then laughed. Soonyoung looked up at him, eyes shining, lips formed into one of the most genuine smiles Jihoon had ever seen. "I love you too," he said, and pressed his lips to Jihoon's. They were soft and warm. After a chaste kiss, they pulled away. "So I guess that settles it. I'm not going back to get married. We'll run away and live somewhere else," said Jihoon. "Fine with me," said Soonyoung, and kissed Jihoon's cheek. 

Jihoon's heart no longer felt empty. He no longer felt dead inside. Soonyoung had filled him up with happiness and life. But there was one more thing Jihoon had wanted. "Soonyoung...can you teach me how to dance?" "Of course! We can start now if you want to." "Yes! Please?" Jihoon was very excited. He was finally free to do what he wanted. Being with Soonyoung and dancing was his dream. He realized, with a smile, that perhaps the royal life wasn't for him. His life was right there, with Soonyoung.


End file.
